Bubbling drinking fountain



May 8, 1923.

J. E. PLEW BUBBLING DRINKING FOUNTAIN Filed April 18, 1921 fiwkfor: kZzmes lWeM" 40 therefore be regarded as having for its ob- Patented May 8, 1923.

games n. PLEW, or cH-mAeo; ILLINOIS.- I

PATENT 0F Fl- BUBBLING DRINKING FOUNTAIN.

Application filed April 1a, 1921. Serial No. 462,148.

' T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES PLEW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bubbling Drinking Foune tains, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will; enable .others skilled in the art to which it. pertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

One of the difiiculties experienced with bubbling drinking fountains. attached to ordinary service pipes is that the height of the jet' or bubble varies with the pressure in the pipe and, where there is a manual valve between the .fountain and the source of supply, the height of. the, bubble or jet varies according to the position of the valve and, if the valve-is opened a little too far,

the bubble is transformed into a stream of high velocity. It has heretoforebeen proposed to overcomethis objection by providing reducing valves of onekind or another to control the pressure. My invention has for its object-to produce a simpler and more effective 'mean'sthan areducing valve for preventing the bubble or gentle jet from becoming a violent jet when thecpressure at the inlet to the fountain rises.

In carrying out my invention I employ in the fountain a large valve-controlled vent which opens at a predetermined pressure and permits the escape of the Water. I have found by making the vent largee-nough it will take care of theentire flow of water, when-once opened, eliminating the bubble. In one of its .aspects, my invention may ject to produce a device'whichpup to a certain pressure, as when the valve in a faucet is only partly opened, will serve as a bub bling drinking fountain while, at higher pressure, as where-the valve in a faucet is opened wide, it will serve simply as an ordinary discharge outlet for-a faucet or pipe.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointedoutwith particularity in the claims; but, for a-full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a basin provided with a faucet having attached thereto one, of my improved devices; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through: the ieuntlain device, on a larger scale than 1g. V

For the sake of brevity I have illustrated in the drawingand shall describe with particularity only a single embodiment of my invention in a shape adapted to be attached to a faucet or supply pipe; but I desireto have it understood that my invention may take various other forms and be capable'of being supplied with water in various other ways.

Referring ,to the drawing, 1 represents a bell-shaped member having 3 at theiaxis a. downwardly-projecting tubular member, 2, opening out of the top'of the bell. Water is deliveredinto the interior of the memher 1 through a supply pipe, 3. The lower at its upper. end supports the disc.' The up-,

per end of the spring passes through a small hole, 10, in the disc and is thereby, prevented from turning. The extreme lower end, 11, of the spripg is bent so as to lie parallel with the axis of the post and just beside the nut8, thus serving as a nutlock. j j

Assuming that the member 3 is the dis? charge side of a faucet, 12, associated with a basin, 14, above which the fountain device lies, the operation is as follows: .When thewater is turned on by reason of the faucet being partially opened, it flows into the interior of the bell-shaped member and rises until it reaches the bottom of the tube 2. The water then flows up through the tube and forms a bubble or gentle jet at the top.' As the water rises within the bell :on the out side of the tube, the air trapped withinthe upper end of the bell isv compressed and it thereafter serves as a pressure-equalizing device which will take care of small variations in pressure In case the pressure for Ea 1 l desirable, the disc, 4, will yield downwardly and permit the water to escape past the same. The pressure at which the disc will yield is controlled by the spring whose tension is in turn controlled by the nut on the lower end of the post. I

I have found that by making the vent opening of a large size, preferablylarge-r than the area of the supply pipe, the discharge of water through the vent, having once been begun, will rob the drinkingpoint of its supply so that the entire How will be out through the vent. This is'true no'matter whether the vent is at the side or at the bottom and it is also true with the device as illustrated if it be turned completely upsidedown. The result is that no matter wherethe vent is located in the fountain, it may be made .to'serve as the sole active discharge outlet'sothat water may be drawn from the faucet or other supply device into a pail or other receptacle just as though the fountain attachment were 4 not present. In other words, whenever it is desired to use the device as a bubbling drinking fountain and the conditions are proper for comfortable and convenientdrinking, the device will act as a bubbling drinking fountain and when the improper condition of high pressure exists, the person desiring to drink is protected against a violent discharge of water.

and can regulate the flow from the manual valve, and when it is desired simply to draw from the faucet or other supply device a large quantity of water, the fountain device no longer acts as a bubbling fountain but simply as a discharge outletof suflicient capacity to deliver all of the water which reaclies it. The depending flange, 6, directs the flow of-the water passing out through the vent and keeps it from being discharged sidewise and wetting those in the vicinity thereof Furthermore, when the water is being drawn oii' rapidly for the purpose of filling a'pail or otherreceptacle, the dis,- charge has the appearance of a large'solid stream.

It will thus be seen that the member 1, no matter what form or shape it may take, is intended to serve as a chamber for receiving water and delivering it through a drinking outlet or through a vent outlet, the

1. In a device of the character described,-

a receiving chamber having an inlet and two outlets,'one' of the outlets being a constantlyopening drinking outlet, and. an inwardlyclosing check valve controlling the other out-' 7 let. I

2. Ina device of the character described, a receiving chamber having an inlet and a plurality of outlets, one'ofthe outlets being a constantly-open drinking outlet, 'and inwardly-closing check valve means control-' ling the remainder of the outlets.

.3. In a device of the character described,.

a receiving chamber having an'inlet and'a constantly-open drmkmgoutlet, a second outlet of 'larger'cross sectional area than the drinkingoutlet, and means for holding the. second-outlet closed until predetermined pressure is reached in the chamber.

' 4:. In a device of the character described,

a device having an inlet" opening and a drinking outlet opening, said chamber having also a second outlet opening of a cross sectional area greater thanthat-of the inlet opening, and means under the control of pressure within the chamber for closing said second outlet. I

'5; In a device of the character described, a receiving chamber having an inlet opening and two outlet openings, one of the outlet openings being constantly openand affording a drinkingpoint, an inwardly-closing check valve controlling the other outlet opening, andmeans for varying the pressure which tends to hold the valve seated.

6. In a device of the character'described, a receiving chamber, a supply conduit connected to said chamber, an unobstructed tube arranged within the chamber and opening out of the same to afford a drinking point, the inlet end of the tube being at a considerable distance from the wall of the chamber through which the tube passes and being also out of the path of the stream issuing into the chamber from the supply conduit,. said chamber having an additional discharge outlet,and means under the control of the pressure in the chamber for controlling the said outlet 7, I 1 7.111 a device of'thecharacter described, a receiving chamber open at the bottom and having a small drinking outlet at the top, "a cover for the bottomof the chamber'in the form of an outwardly-opening check valve adaptedto open and close the bottom of the chamber, the lower end of. thewalls of the chamber being continued down past the cover to form a deflector for water passing out of the chamber around the cover, said chamber having also a water inlet.

8. In a device of the character described, a bell-shaped member having a drinking outlet at the top, an upwardly-seating valve for closing the lower end of the bell lying in the bell at some distance above the lower edge of the latter, means for yieldingly holding the valve seated, the parts being so proportioned that the valve when open does not pass beyond the lower edge of the bell, and means for admitting water into the interior of the bell.

9. In a device of the character described, a bell-shaped member having a drinking outlet at the top, a tube extending downwardly into the bell from the drinking outlet, an upwardly-seating valve for closing the lower end of the bell lying in the bell at some distance above the lower edge of the latter, means for yie-ldingly holding the valve seated, the parts being so proportioned that the valve when open does not pass beyond the lower edge of the bell, and means for admitting water into the interior of the. bell in such a manner that the incoming stream is not in line with the passage through the tube.

10. In a device of the character described, a bell-shaped member having at the axis a downwardly-projecting tubular post forming at its upper end a drinking outlet, an upwardly-seating valve mounted on the lower end of said post for closing the lower end of said member, and said member having an inlet. 1

11. In a device of the character described, a bell-shaped member having-a drinking outlet at the top and a water inlet at a point below the top, and an upwardly-seating valve forming a closure for the mouth of the bell-shaped member.

a cross sectional area greater than that of the inlet opening, and means under control of the pressure within the chamber for closing said second outlet opening.

14. In a device of the character described, a receiving chamber open at the bottom and having at the top a drinking outlet much smaller in cross sectional area than the open bottom, a cover for the bottom of the chamber, and the chamber and the cover being movable relatively to each other to openv the bottom of the chamber when the pressure in the chamber rises above a. predetermined point, said chamber having also a water inlet. l l

15. In a device of the character described, a receiving chamber open at the bottom and having at the top a drinking outlet much smaller in cross sectional area than the open bottom, a cover for the bottom of the chamber, and the chamber and. the cover being movable relatively to each other to open the bottom of the chamber when the pressure inthe chamber rises above a. predetermined point. the lower end of the walls of the chamber being continued down past the cover to form a deflector for water passing out of the chamber around the cover.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

JAMES E. PLEW. 

